Although book lovers love books (hence the name book lovers), there are many other appropriate gifts for lovers of the written word. It’s time to think a little more about the gifts we buy for book lovers; it’s time to be a little more original for the sake of these recipients. These ten gifts are great alternatives to buying “just a book” for the book lover on her gift list.
1. Book lovers don’t like to put down their books, but sometimes they have to do other things. Help them mark their place in the book with a stylish bookmark. Purchase a silver bookmark that fits your personality and will last through years of use. There are a wide variety of bookmarks for sale at Barnes and Noble and other bookstores.
2. For book lovers who love to read late into the night, they can buy a book lamp. Visit bigandbrighter.com and find the perfect light for your bookish friend. The lights start at $9.99, come in a variety of colors and sizes, and are lightweight and strong.
3. Pottery Barn sells a unique and elegant pair of bookends for only $49. Bookends are silver boxes that double as photo frames. What a great use of shelf space! Your book lover can display their favorite books and favorite pictures in one place.
4. When carrying multiple books, a book lover needs a fashionable and durable book bag. LL Bean offers canvas bags that have long handles, are great for men or women, and are just $17.
5. Book lovers get tired of borrowing books and never seeing them again. If the book lover in her life has a personal library, he or she needs a way to keep track of all those books. For $135.00 you can purchase a personal payment system at bookendsoftware.com.
6. Get creative and make a basket of books for your book lover. Include coffees and teas to sip while you read, a blanket or blanket to snuggle in while you read, and a blank journal to keep track of favorite books read.
7. If you visit art.com and type the word “books” into the search engine, you will receive hundreds of art prints that focus on the theme of books. You can find poster-size prints of book covers, pictures of bookstore windows, book characters, etc. This makes an original gift, combining art and books.
8. Bookstore gift cards offer the book lover the gift of their choice. He or she can choose a book she likes, buy a magazine subscription, or select book accessories. Most gift cards can even be redeemed online.
9. Here’s an exception to the “no books for book lovers” rule: a first edition of a very special book. The only way this gift works is if you’ve actually found a first edition of a book that you know the recipient treasures. This gift can be hard to find and can be expensive, so plan accordingly.
10. One more exception to the “no books for book lovers” rule: a collection of books by the recipient’s favorite author. Often times collections can be purchased as boxed sets, but it can be made more personal by taking the time to search for the titles your recipient loves.